Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-12-03
Uncle Dan1's Prayer.

aged thirty, "Young Miss Emily
Hawkins, "Young Mars" Washing
ton Hawkins, "Young Mars" Clay,
the new member of the family, were
seated on log, after supper, contem-
plating the marvellous river, and dis
cussing it. The moon rose and sail
ed aloft through mass of shredded
cloud-wreaths the sombfe river just
perceptibly frightened under the
yelled light; deep silence pervaded
the air, and was emphasized at inter-
walls, rather than broken, by the
hooting of an owl, the baying of a
dog, or the muffled clash of a caving
bank in the distance.
The little company assembled on
the log were all children Cat least in
simplicity and broad and compre-
hensive ignorance), and the remarks
they made about the river were in
keeping with their character and so
awed were they by the grandeur and
solemnity of the scene before them,
and by their belief that the air was
filled with invisible spirits, and the
faint zephyrs were caused by their
passing wings, that all their talk'took
to itself a tinge of the supernatural,
and their voices were subdued to a
low and reverent tone.
Suddenly Uncle Dan'l exclaimed,
"Chil'en, dah's sumfin a comin'w
All crowded close together, and
every heart beat faster. Uncle
Dan'l pointed down the river with
his bony finger.
A deep, coughing sound troubled
the stiffness, way toward a wooded
cape that jutted into the stream a
mile distant. All in an instant, a
fierce eye of fire shot out from be.
hind the cape, and sent long, bril-.
liant pathway quivering athwart the
dusky water. The coughing grew
louder and louder, the glaring eye
grew larger and still larger, glared
wilder and still wilder. A large
shape developed itself out of the
gloom and from its tall, duplicate
horns, dense volumes of smoke, star
red and spangled with sparks, poureC
out and went tumbling away into
the farther darkness. Nearer ant
nearer the thing came, till its lonl
sides began to glow with spots o
light which mirrored themselves il
the river, and attended the monster
like torchlight procession.
"What is it? Oh! what is it, Tn
Gle Dan'l?"
With deep solemnity the answe
came, "It's de Almighty! Get down
on yo' knees!"
1t was not necessary to say it twice
They were all kneeling in a moment
And then, while the mysteriou
coughing rose stronger, and tn
threatening glare reached farther ant
wider, the negro's voice lifted up it
Supplications -
so Lord! we's been mighty wick
ed, an we knows dat we Serve to e,
to de bad place; but, Lord, deal
Lord, we amt ready yet-let DIES
po' child'en hab one mo- chance
Take de ole niggah, if you's got t
hab somebody. Good Lord, dea
Lord, we don't know what you's
gwyne to do, we don't knoN
who you's got yo' eye on
but we know by de wa
you'sa comm, we know by de wa,
you's tiltin' along in yo' charyot {
fab, dat some DO sinners gwyn
to kotch it. But, good Lord, DIES
chiPen don't belong heah dey's III
Obedstown, whar dey dom knoN
muffin an yo' knows, yo' own sci
dat dey aD't 'sponsible. An, dea
Lord, good Lord, it amt like W
mercy, it amt like yo' pity, it ain
like yo' long-sufferin', lovin' kline
ness fO' to take dis kind o. 'vantag
O such little chiPen as desc is, whe
dey's so many ornery grown folk
chuck full of cussedness, dat want
roasting down dar. o Lord spa
de little chiPen away FIN dey frens
ies' let 'em off jes' dis once, and tax
it out'n de ole niggah! HEAH ! Il
LORD, HEAH Is! De ole niggah
ready, de ole"-
The flaming and churning steamt
wasl right abreast the party, and NJ
twenty steps away. The awfnl thur
der of a mudvalve suddenly bur
forth, drowning the prayer and 6
suddenly Uncle Dan'Gsnatched achil
under each arm, and scurried int
the woods, with the rest of the pac
at his heels. And then, ashamed {
I